You often hear statements like millions of people practice it around the world. And that there are hundreds of scientific research studies on its benefits. But what is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, really?

Here is the essence of TM in a nutshell.

SUITABLE FOR MODERN LIFESTYLE: With your eyes closed, you can practice TM either at your home or on the road, sitting on your bed or in an airplane.

In brief and contrary to what the name itself might suggest the Transcendental Meditation technique is a very simple, natural and effortless way of letting your mind settle down into an extremely calm and wise state of rest. Best effects are produced with regular practice of two times twenty minutes a day.

Well come back to the calm and wise part in a second.

But first the issue of mantras.

Though TM is not a mantra-based meditation in the sense that its main core and direction is oriented towards transcending, it does involve use of mantras.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the great teacher from India who introduced the TM technique to the wider world, said: Mantra is a specific thought which suits us, a suitable sound for us which we receive from a trained teacher of Transcendental Meditation.

By using this mantra, the practitioner experiences the thought of that sound and starts minimizing that thought to experience the finer states of that thought until the source of thought is fathomed and the conscious mind reaches the transcendental area of being.

As you can see, though the technique itself is easy to enjoy and practice after youve learned it, it is a fairly finely-tuned stuff based on traditions thousands of years old.

This is the main reason why it makes sense to play it sound and learn it from a qualified TM teacher (heres the list of contact information for teaching centers by continent and country). Its the only way to make sure that you get your moneys worth.

The fee for learning TM varies across countries, but it usually reaches into hundreds of dollars per the 4-day course. For example, in the U.S. you can take the course for around 1,000 USD with several options of scholarships and paying schedules available.

Still seems expensive, at the first glance?

GUARANTEE OF QUALITY: The official logo of the TM Organization.

However, even if it is expensive in terms of its nominal cost (that is, in terms of how many ice-creams you could buy for this amount of money, or how many classes you could take at your Pilates studio), this probably isnt the calculation which matters the most.

At the end of the day, its the worth of your deal which counts: its about what you get for your money. Buying a brand new Ferrari for a couple of grands wouldnt be such a bad deal, right?

And in this context, TM could well be the most useful investment you can possibly make in your life. Heres why.

It has often occurred to me that if Transcendental Meditation could be put into a capsule and marketed like a pharmaceutical, it would be a billion dollar blockbuster. Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, award-winning psychiatrist (Georgetown University)

As said earlier, doing TM regularly will make your mind-body system naturally calm and wise.

It will make it CALM as it has a well-proven effect of letting your nervous system settle into a state of deep rest. This will automatically turn the notch down on your level of stress.

And as you begin to feel more and more at ease in your skin, and stop fretting about all those innumerable projects and lifes little problems, everything else tends to click into place, too. Thats why TM is proven to have a positive impact on your blood pressure, immune system, eating habits, good nights sleep, etc.

A nice, healthy state of impassionate vegetation? Nope. While making you calm, TM practice will also make you WISE and EFFICIENT.

As the dust of our daily neurosis settles, our mind will naturally become more open, clear and insightful. With TM, artists will become more creative, students more able and discerning, businessmen will make smarter decisions and sportsmen reach their full potential. You can go through hundreds of such testimonials and stories.

Theres nothing mystical, religious or magical about this process, however; the wisdom of our mind simply starts to manifest itself when given a chance.

As weightlifting, tennis, and ballroom dancing strengthen specific muscles and produce different overall effects in the body, so do focusing on a candlelight, repeating mantras or trying to dispassionately observe ones mental content result in different outcomes.

MEDITATION AND BRAIN: Some of the best, most revealing research on the effects of meditation practice has involved different methods of neurophysiological brain imaging. Photo: University of Illinois.

According to research, the practice of Transcendental Meditation is unique in many a sense.

For one, TM seems to turn on the whole brain and make it function as a holistic unit. This is a common feature of those people who report peak-performances in business, art or sports.

Another peculiar feature of the TM technique is that there is no difference between brainwaves of experts and beginners one masters it quickly. In fact, the positive effects of practice are usually apparent already from the very first TM session.

If you are an auditive learner, then you may find this introductory video extremely useful.

It is recorded by Bob Roth, one of the most qualified TM teachers around and the 20-minute video covers all the most important topics like what happens during TM, how we know if it really works or not, whats its effect on the brain, etc.

Continued here:

Transcendental Meditation: A quick introduction